Carbonizing process



May '1, 1928. 1,668,132

w; E. TRENT CARBONIZING PROCESS Filed March 11. 1925 gnwnkw Wallerll'mnl Patented May 1, 1928..

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i i THREE EDWIN TRENT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO TRENT C303- ELOMTION, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF DELA'WARE.

onanomzme raocnss.

Application filed larch 11, 1925.

The invention relates to improvements in a process and apparatus for carbonizing coal and oil mixtures. The invention relates to the broad process described in my co-pending application .c erial No. 712,128, filed February 27, 1925,.

wherein replaceable elements are heated and then applied to'receivers containing-coal and oil to transmit the stored heat by radiation it? to carbonize the green fuel therein.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the process above mentioned, said improvements consisting in the low temperature carbonization of coal and oil mixtures in either bulk or preformed charges by utilizing heat storage elements applied to a receiver above the green char e therein so that the products of distillation rising in the receiver must contact with the hot storage element thereabove and then descend through the charge, imparting the excess heat of the gases to the fuel therein prior to the discharge of the gases from the bottom or lower part of the receiver. a

The invention furthermore contemplates an improved'apparatus wherein a receiver is provided with a perforated lower wall upon which fuel charges rest, while the upper part of the receiver is fashioned to receive a removable heat storage element constituting in effect a closure therefor.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Fi re 1 designates a diagrammatic view of the distilling retort with the receiver.

Fig. 2 discloses a detailed view of the receiver with the heat storage element removed therefrom.

' Fig. 3 is a modified form ofcontainer.

Referrin now more particularly to the W drawings, t e numeral 1 designates a distilling retort in which anendless conveyor 2 travels. This conveyor maybe composed of connected links or any approved construction. The conveyor at one and travels till a around the sprocket 3 located in the retort l while the opposite end of the conveyor els around the s rocket 4 disposed outof-the retort. en in any suitablamanner to impart ction to the conveyor. It will be underhil stood that the conve or comprises a pair of separated endless c ains. Suspended behis sprocket 4 maybe Serial No. 14,732.

elements 9 which constitute in effect a closurafor the ans. The side walls 7 are slightly higher t an the end walls 10 of the pan.

The heat storage elements 9 are heated in any suitable furnace or retort and to the desired temperature. As a. pan passes the sprocket 4 the bulk mixtures of coal and oil of a somewhat plastic consistency, or preformed masses of coal and oil which have been molded or otherwise shaped, are in troduced to the pan. The pen can be substantially filled with this green material. One of the heat storage elements 9 is then placed on the pan by being'positioned in the slideways 8 formed therein. The pan then enters the distilling chamber 1 where heat -is imparted to the green mass therein by the heat storage element 8,being highly heated due to such contact," and are then compelled to descend through the charge of material therein, imparting the excess heat to the charge before escaping through the openings 6 in the bottom of each pan. By providing the heat storing element above the fuel in the an with-a gas outlet at the bottom thereof: a high heat efliciency may be obtained and the oils and gases are subjected to a pronounced cracking while the resulting fuel is more uniformly carbonized. The vapors driven from the fuel discharge through the va or outlet 11 for further treatment and co action. Any liquid products driven" from the fuel collect in the trough 12 beneath the conveyor, being withdrawn from this trough through a valvecontrolled outlet pipe 13. When a charge has passed through the distilling oven and reaches the point :0, which constitutes the unloading zone, the removable heat storage element 9 is taken from its pan and the contents of the pan discharged. This element is then re-heated for further use while the pan travels around the sprocket 4 and re ceives anadditional supply of green fuel When so supplied a highly heated storage element 9 is then applle'd to the pan for travel through the distilling oven therewith. The carbonized contents of each pan discharge into the trough 13 at the time the heat storage element is removed.

In carrying out my rocess I either introduce to a pan as it is a out to enter the distilling oven a bulk mixture of coal and oil, or a series of reformed bonded charges of coal and oil of any contour. Suchcharges may be round, square, or otherwise. One of the heat storage elements 9, having been heated to a high temperature of, say, 800 centigrade, is t en inserted in the an, being received by the =guideways 8. his heat storage element is sufliciently hot to apply to the g een material in the pan a temperature 0 ,"say, 600 centi perature carbonization is being practiced. Obviously higher temperatures can be employed if a coke-like product is desired. The heat storage elements can be heated to any temperature found preferable, in keeping with the product to be produced.

During travel through the distilling chamber the valuable b -products are removed from the coal an such products are discharged through the vapor and gas outlet for treatment and collection. Condensed oils that may drip from the coal are collected in the trough 12 as 'hereinbefore described. It will be'understood that during the distillation of a charge of material in I a pan the vapors naturally ascend and thereby contact with the under surfaces of one of the hot storage elements, which kerves. to superheat. these vapors and gases. The so heated vapors and gases must then pass down through the body of material in the pan and escape through the outlets 6 located therein. This-heat treatment of the gases and vapors also serves to crack certain of the vapors into low boiling point oils, while at the same time a plying a maximum temperature to the so id residue remaining in the pans.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have shown another embodiment of the invention wherein a container 15 having apertures 16 near its bottom is provided. This container has slideways 17 receiving removable heat stor age elements 18. The interior of the container receives the green material to underade, if low temgo treatment. In this process the container need not travel through a distillin oven but may be stationary in any suitable eat insulated retort. That is to sa the container may be filled and receive its eat storage element after which it is applied to a retort to remain therein until the material undergoes carbonization. After the desired time of treatment has elapsed the container canbe removed. from the retort or other receiver, the heat storing element being then detached from the container and the carbonized contents collected. It will be understood that if such a container is used the products of distillation issuing therefrom are discharged from the retort and collected in any approved manner.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A process for carbonizin coal, consisting in introducing supplies 0 coal to indivi ual receivers, in moving the receivers through a carbonizing zone, in applying heat to the coal in each receiver b radiation from a heat storage element attac ed to each receiver above the fuel charge to heat the fuel charge to a carbonizing temperature, and in discharging vapors and gases from the lower ortion of each receiver.

2. A car onizing process consisting in advancing individual charges of coal through a retort, in appl ing heat to each individual charge by in ependent heat trasnferring elements moving throu h said retort in s eed synchronism with sai 'chargesand to eat a said charges to a carbonizing temperature,

and in dlschar ingl vapors and gases generated from eac c arge at a point substantially'below such elements.

3. An apparatus for carbonizing materials comprising a series of connected receptacles, each adapted to receive fuel charges, means for moving said receptacles in an endless path througha retort, each receptacle having a bottom wall provided with dischar e openings extending therethrough, side an end walls connected with the bottom wall, longitudinal guidcways in said side walls, and a detachable heat storage element m'ovable in said guideways to provide a closure for each receptacle and to apply heat to the contents thereof.

4. An apparatus for carbonizing materials, comprising a receptacle having a bottom wall, said wall having a plurality of openings extending therethrough, side and end walls for the receptacle, and a combined top wall and heating element slidably connected with the side walls of the receptacle.

5. An apparatus for carbonizing matenals comprising a receptacle having a bottom, and side and end walls, a lurality of discharge openings extending t rou b one of said wal s of the recetgtacle, gui eways formed in other walls of e receptacle, and

III

a combined closure and heat storage plate slidably engaging said guideways.

6. A carbonizing process comprising applying fuel charges to a receptaclerin heat- 5 ing said charge to a temperature sufiicient to eifect carbonization thereof by placing a heat storage element over the charge in the receptacle to which the self contained heat of said element. is transmitted, and 'in discharging vapors and gases from the receptacle at a point below the fuel charge contained therein.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WALTER EDWIN TRENT. 

